Friday, September 30, 2011

FOTD: I'm Officially Obsessed With Green Eyeshadow

Yes, I am officially obsessed with green eyeshadow. Specifically Estee Lauder's Precious Shade cream shadow. I think I've used it the past 9 times out of the 10 that I've worn makeup. Which makes for some boring and repetitive posts. But frankly my dears, I don't give a damn. ;) (Love that book. Yes, BOOK!)


Eyes:

  •  Estee Lauder Double Wear Shadowcreme in Precious Jade on lids
  • Wet n Wild Color Icon eyeshadow in Envy on lid
  • MAC Old Gold pigment dusted on and above the crease
  • Physician's Formula Eye Definer eyeliner on upper lash line
  • MAC Pure Show on upper lash line as well
  • A mix of CoverGirl Lashblast mascara and Wet n Wild MegaLash Clinical Mascara on lashes
  • Physician's Formula Canyon Classic quad matte eyeshadow in brows (darkest shade)
Face:
  • Physician's Formula CircleRx concealer in Fair Light under eyes
  • Maybelline SuperStay concealer in Ivory also under eyes
  • Physician's Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 Powder Foundation in Translucent Light
Cheeks
  • Estee Lauder Radiant Peach blush
Lips
  • Wet n Wild Silk Finish lipstick in 511B
  • Kiss My Sass lipgloss in Summer Lovin'


Does anyone else have any recently developed makeup obsessions?

Thank you for reading and have a great day!

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Quick Review: elf Studio Blush in Pink Passion

Well, I'm pooped. The nice thing is that I get to sleep in tomorrow. No school, yay! The bad thing is that I have 3 more tests coming with two on Friday. It's probably not true, but I feel woefully unprepared. Then again, the first tests of the semester always make me feel that way.

My lack of time prompted these quick swatch/review posts that I'll be doing occasionally. I'll do this for products I feel don't need an in-depth review and I can just give a few quick thoughts on.

elf Studio Blush in Pink Passion
elf Studio Blush in Pink Passion
elf Studio Blush in Pink Passion
elf Studio Blush in Pink Passion
I wanted to love this blush because the color looked cool in the pan, but it just didn't work for me.  I am extremely pale so I tend to be pretty washed out looking most of the time, but this blush did nothing for my complexion. The color is like Pepto-Bismol (or Pink Bismuth as I'm too cheap to buy name brands), pastel yet almost neon at the same time.Plus, the texture is powdery and a bit chalky. It didn't want to "stick" to my skin that well and didn't last as long as blushes normally do on me.  I would be willing to try another blush from elf's studio line, but this one just didn't do it for me.

I tried it twice and hated it equally both times.



Thank you for reading and have a great day/night/whatever!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Darling Clandestine Fragrances Thoughts and Review

Let me just start out by saying that I have absolutely no faith in my ability to describe a fragrance. So why am I doing a perfume review? Because for the first time I've smelled perfumes that actually evoked feelings in me besides "that smells good" or "ew, that smells nasty". I had visceral responses to the scents that gave me strong images in my head. I began to concoct little stories and scenarios in my mind. And what moved me most of all is that many of them gave me a sense of deja vu. Not that I felt I had smelled them before, but they reminded me of experiences in the past. After becoming jaded with perfumes from big corporate brands, I'm more interested in indie perfumes.
I'm pretty hard to please when it comes to perfume. I don't like food smells, I don't want to smell like a cupcake or a flower. I don't like perfume-y, synthetic smells. Most perfumes smells vaguely like plastic or chemicals to me.  I'll probably still wear them, but they don't speak to me on a deeper level. I love earthy, raw, warm scents. Sandalwood is probably my ideal single note scent.


I love the esthetic of Darling Clandestine. It's dark, but not dreary. The perfume collection (she also sells hand made earring) is called Calliope Crash and has a circus/carnival/freak show theme that comes across as very original. The copy writing is extremely well done and entertaining. You can tell a lot of thought was put into creating each scent, each label, each photograph, and each description. The owner, Evonne, is extremely thoughtful and sweet.  All my dealings with her have been very positive. She is the type of person you feel proud to support.


My order came with each Bitsy vial in it's own bag and all the samples together in another bag. I like the tickets used for labeling; it works well and maintains the theme.


I ordered 3 Bitsy Vials ($4 each for a 1 dram vial) and a sample pack with 3 sample vials (3 5/16 dram glass vials for $3.50). The owner was nice enough to include an addition Bitsy Vial and AND an additional sample vial. I'm glad she did because I ended up purchasing a full size of the extra she sent.

I just wish that the Bitsy vials were labeled with the scent names because I'm paranoid I'm going to forget which one is which.

The written description for each fragrance are interesting and fun to read, but in the interest of brevity, I'll just give a brief quote of how Darling Clandestine describes the scent followed by my own thoughts.  I have to say that I thought each and every one of these smelled good, even if some weren't something I would personally wear.


Curiosities' Ball

Shop description- "Sensual black pepper dancing with ozone and dark green leaves. Very unisex—thoroughly appropriate for gents and ladies who aren't into the sweet stuff."

My thoughts- In the vial my strongest impression is of crushed ivy leaves. It reminds me of climbing an old stone wall enveloped in ivy with the ivy crushing under your palms and staining them green. I don't get the pepper smell so much, but after awhile on the skin the amber emerges. I like the amber and the green leaf smells separately, but together they feel a little disparate to me. Over time the ivy scent mellows down and I like the way it smells on me better..


Inked

Shop description- "A sting of sea salt and leather with splashes of communion wine. It evokes raw skin, sexy and wearable. Unisex."

My thoughts- In the vial it smells strongly of leather. Before it became too dangerous to do so I would go to Mexico often. They have these shops were everything is made of leather and now I associate the smell of leather with Mexico. This scent smells very masculine to me like a Mexican leather shop and my grandpa's after shave. Not that I think the scent smells like "old man cologne", just that it reminds me of him after the leather has time to mellow a bit. The strong leather overtones dissipate rather quickly leaving a comfortable, homey scent. It reminds me of sitting in my grandpa's lap on Sunday mornings and reading the newspaper's comics together. I usually like more masculine scents, but I'm not sure I could wear this one just because it smells like pure man to me.


Serpentina

Shop description- "Ethereal, fresh green tea with a little opium bite. Feminine."

My thoughts-  In the vial it smells strongly of green tea. When I put it on it smells exactly like my  favorite Japanese Green Tea incense while it's burning. I smell the slightly acrid smoke, the sweet perfumey scent of green tea, and the background earthy incense smell. This was a weird thought, but it smells round. Yeah, like the shape. I'm weird. The green tea scent sticks around for awhile, which makes me happy. I love this one and I bought a full size of it.


Pyrotechnik

Shop description- "Bursts of cantaloupe darkened with spice and intense sandalwood. Unisex to feminine."

My thoughts-  In the vial it smells purely of cantaloupe. Not a fake sweetened cantaloupe either, but of the an actual ripe melon. On the skin it smells like Whole Foods or hippies shopping for a melons from a produce stand at the farmer's market. The intense cantaloupe dissipates quickly but lingers softly brightening the earthy sandalwood. I absolutely adore this one. One of my favorite favorite things I have ever smelled on my skin. Even my boyfriend commented on how good I smelled and he NEVER comments on that type of thing.  Along with Serpentina, I also bought a full size of this one.


Monstre Delicate

Shop description- "Clean, blue, rainy, with haunting dark spicy notes. Unisex."

My thoughts-  Initially this smells crisp in the vial, almost like apples in the snow. You know how people's houses always have a distinct smell? And no one's ever smells the same? This one reminds me of someone's house from my childhood, but I can't remember who. The memory is dancing at the very edges of my consciousness and it's driving me insane! It does smell water-y, but definitely fresh water, not sea water. Beyond that I can discern specifics. It has a slightly powderyness (maybe, I dunno, I'm terrible with specific scent descriptions). That isn't a "me" smell, but I still like it.

Fire Eater

Shop description- "Bright, hot, spicy, odd, indefinable. Unisex."

My thoughts-  In the vial there is a sharp tequila smell mixed with molé (a sauce usually made where I live from unsweetened chocolate and chili peppers). On the skin it smells hot, like sweaty, dancing bodies. It doesn't smell like sweat, but you know how smells intensify when your body heats up? Like that. It loses the sharp tequila scent, but keeps the spice. I'm not a big fan of molé because of the chocolate, which is what keeps me from loving this scent. (I'm not really sure if it smells like chocolate or not. That is just my impression of it. I'm probably wrong, haha.)

Cloudswing

Shop description- "Bright, crisp, golden-green scent with notes of warm hay and vanilla and mowed clover and marigolds and lemongrass."

My thoughts-  In the vial is smells strongly of herbs and straw. It smells like laying in the field amongst the drying cut grass and wild plants after my dad had just mowed breathing the fresh air next to my mother's herb garden and making shapes out of the clouds. Smells fresh and clean. The dried grass scent dissipates quickest and the vanilla becomes more apparent. I wish the grass would stay longer. The vanilla adds a roundness to the base (there I go with the round again) and is more apparent over time which disappoints me a little. I'm not quite sure my finally thoughts for this one yet. I'll have to try it some more. I may decide that I love it.

Tilt-a-Whirl

Shop description- "Bright citrus and passionfruit mellowed with sage and other wonders. Fun and fruity but not candy-like. Feminine."

My thoughts- Initially it smells like sour candy. The passionfruit is very distinct. I don't particularly like the smell of passionfruit. I think it's too floral for me? I was hoping the citrus and the sage notes would be more prominent. They are there, but overall it is just a bit too sweet for me. The citrus and sage do come out more as the scent mellows, however. I do think it smells amazing, like something I would want to drink cold on a summer day. Just not something I would want to wear as perfume. As I mentioned I prefer more earthy scents.



My only issue is that I wish the perfumes lasted a bit longer on my skin. They last for awhile, but I do wish I could smell them still at the end of the day. But for something this good and for a great price, it's worth reapplying.

So would I order from Darling Clandestine again? A million times YES! In fact I already have. My full size bottles of Pyrotechnik and Serpentina are on their way to me as we speak.  I highly suggest anyone at least pick up a sample set. It only costs $3.50 with $1.00 shipping.

Available:

Thank you for reading and have a great day/night/whatever!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Serious Post is Serious

I don't normally like to talk about serious topics on my blog. My blog is supposed to be my escape from my responsibilities and all that is serious. But lately focusing my my petty problems is becoming more and more difficult. If anyone is particularly sensitive, they may want to avoid reading this post as it is sad/disturbing and almost plain unimaginable for most of us.

As you might now, I live really close to the border with Mexico. I'm sure most people have heard vaguely about the drug wars in Mexico, but few people really know how fucked up things really are. Check out Border Wars on The National Geographic Channel if you get a chance. It doesn't go into detail about what is happening on the Mexico side, but it's pretty eye-opening.

Innocent people are dying by the hundred and thousands in Mexico. You know what the drug cartels do? They force people to join them by threatening to kill them and their families if they don't participate. And they will follow through on their threats. So yesterday I watched a video of two people being beheaded. One with a chainsaw and one with what appeared to be a fairly dull-knife. The men were apparently rival cartel members and were shockingly resigned to their fates. The guys were made to talk for awhile and one of them mentioned they got paid $21 a MONTH to be drug runners. These are people who have no other options to feed their families.

If you think maybe those guys deserved their fate consider this. Two or three days ago a young woman who lived in a town just minutes over the US border (Nuevo Laredo) was murdered for speaking out about the cartels on a social networking site. She was beheaded and both her head and body were placed in a public place with a sign warning other people from speaking out.  The cartels also kill en masse. It isn't uncommon to find massive dumping grounds of tortured bodies. They don't do this in the night hidden away from public view either. Last week in Veracruz Mexico in the middle of the day rush hour a cartel stopped traffic to dump 35 bodies under a busy overpass.

There is nothing people can do. The politicians and police are corrupt or powerless. Many people who live here have family in Mexico. Many people who go to my university even live in Mexico. They talk about how they can't even leave their houses. One of my professors was telling me that she went with a friend to Mexico for her friend's grandfather's funeral and they were stopped by masked men with AK47s who stopped them and searched their car. This actually happens fairly frequently. Sometimes they steal the car. My boyfriend is a firefighter and another firefighter he works with has a family ranch in Mexico. His father, who lives partly in the US received a ransom letter stating that they held  his wife and needed so much money or they would kill her. So the guy's dad went to his ranch with the money to give them, but they murdered him.

My boyfriend's younger brother and sister used to go to the University of Texas at Brownsville. The university is located feet away from the border in Mexico. They would tell us that they could hear grenades and gunshot from their dorm rooms. One time the gym had to be evacuated because it was being hit by stray bullets coming over the border. Yes, things are bad.  Really bad. And it seems like it's going to get worse before it gets better.

So sorry, no pretty pictures today. Maybe I'll feel like it in a few days, but right now it just doesn't feel right.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Ghosts of Manicures Past

Well, more like pictures instead of ghosts, but still. I have a billion tests this week (actually only 4 tests) and am going crazy trying to shove all this information into my poor overworked brain.  So I thought I would cheat and show you some of my favorite manicures/swatches of nail polishes that I've posted in the past.
Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure over NARS Purple Rain
LA Splash Golden Seahorse
OPI Shanghai Shimmer
MAC Imperial Flower
Color Club Fashion Addict
Sinful Mint Apple under Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure
Orly Luxe
Zoya Lola

Thank you for reading and have a great day/night/whatever!

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Cult Nails Vicious and Initial Thoughts on Their Base and Top Coats


A box packed with cotton balls? Who could this possibly be from?


Do the little burrito/eggroll wrapped packages give you a clue?


Well, duh! It's Cult Nails!

I ordered this September 19th and received it yesterday, the 24th. Pretty quick, huh? Cult Nails just released their base and top coats along with this purple creme polish. And until the end of today (Sunday the 25th) they are offering the base coat Get It On, top coat Wicked Fast (which retail for $8 each) and any polish from their online store (retails for $10) for $20. And since I already own every other color that has been sold by Cult Nails, I picked up this new purple.

I haven't had enough time to get a good feel for Get It On and Wicked Fast so I'll just give my initial impressions at the end.  I apologize for the crappy application, a nail just broke and I had to chop them all off. I'm not used to painting the shorter nails just yet!

This was 2 coats of Vicious with one coat each of Get It On and Wicked Fast.

Cult Nails Vicious in the sun
I wasn't expecting this purple to be so dark and it's a pleasant surprise. I already own several medium purple cremes like China Glaze Grape Pop, but none that are this beautiful eggplant color.  Like most Cult Nails polishes this was opaque in 2 coats and as usual was a creamy, dreamy, breeze to apply. A fangirl, me? Naw... ;-)

Cult Nails Vicious in the sun
It was somewhat difficult to get a good picture of this polish because the top coat, Wicked Fast, was so shiny and reflective.

Cult Nails Vicious in the shade
So here are my thoughts on the base and top coats thus far.

Get It On (base coat)- It dries really quickly. I hate base coats that take forever to dry. It didn't impede the application of polish, which I've actually experienced with some base coats.

Wicked Fast (top coat)- Seche Vite is my Holy Grail top coat and so far I like this one just as well. It dries super quick and shiny like Seche Vite, but it thin and viscous while Seche is thick and prone to glueyness. Especially when you reach half-way through the bottle. So if you hate Seche for the thickness, this top coat might be the one for you. I'm actually impressed at the dry time; I haven't had anything come close to Seche Vite for me until this.

I can't comment on the wear yet as I've barely been wearing them, but I'll right a more thorough review when I can.

Available:


Thank you for reading and have a great day/night/whatever!

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Holy Pigmented Blush! Cargo Key Largo Blush Swatches and Review

My blush obsession has moved on from a short fling to a full-fledged love affair. I seem to be on a mission to purchase every color of blush that exists or could be remotely flattering on me.  Which led me to this one. I have never tried anything from Cargo, but this blush sang it's siren song to me all the way across my local Sephora store and like any good blush fiend I was powerless to its charms. AKA I bought that beeyatch.
Cargo Key Largo Blush
Apparently Cargo is only sold at Sephoras inside JCPenney stores, not stand alone Sephoras or ones inside malls, etc.  The blush retails for $26, which is pretty much the max I will pay for a blush and it has to be REALLY special. Not that I will ever use up a full blush from any brand, but this one is .314 oz, almost twice the weight of NARS blushes.

Cargo Key Largo Blush
The brushed metal tin embossed with the Cargo logo that houses the blush pan is cute, but rather impractical for traveling or pretty much anything but sitting in a drawer or on your vanity. The top part of the tin has nothing to keep it "stuck" to the bottom half and will slide off fairly easily if you hold it upside down. I don't mind this as I always do my makeup at home anyway.

Cargo Key Largo Blush
On Cargo's website this blush is described as "fruit punch" and I think that is a pretty accurate description. It is even bolder and more saturated than it looks in the pan. It is a matte powder blush with no shimmer or sheen.

Cargo Key Largo Blush
Ho-lee cow. That first swatch looks crazy intimidating doesn't it? But look how nicely it blends out to the side. This is one of the better textured matte blushes I have tried as they tend to be less soft and pigmented than their shimmery counterparts. It does kick up a lot of dust and I have to be VERY careful to not look feverish when applying this blush, but it doesn't look powdery at all.  I am extremely pale and it just goes to show that pasty gals like me can wear super bright blushes, albeit with a very light hand.

The ingredients
I'm not too thrilled to see talc as the first ingredient, but it's pretty hard to escape in even fairly expensive blushes.

Cargo Key Largo blush on the cheeks
See? I told you I could pull it off! I really love this blush and I think Cargo's blushes are quite underrated. I need to try more from Cargo now!

Available:
  • Retails for $26 and can be found at Ulta, Sephora inside JCPenney, and Cargo's website.

Thank you for reading and have a great day/night/whatever!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Giveaway! Urban Decay Rollergirl Palette *CLOSED*

 The giveaway is now closed! Thank you to everyone who entered!

So here is the giveaway I promised you guys! I have a brand new Urban Decay Rollergirl palette that comes with a mini lipgloss.  I absolutely love the Rollergirl palette and I wanted you guys to be able to experience the awesome-icity for yourselves.


I'm using the Rafflecopter widget to make running this giveaway easier, so if you can't see it below you need to do something with your browser because it's there!

No comment entries please! To enter, you must use the Rafflecopter widget!

Also, please read the rules carefully to ensure that all of your entries count!
The Rules (Cuz ya ALWAYS gotta have rules):
  • The giveaway is open from the instant this posts until Saturday October 15th at 12:01 am EST (3 weeks).
  • You MUST do the mandatory entry of following my blog via Google Friend Connect and leave your email address so I can contact you.
  • Before entering please click the "Enter Here" link or the "Click Here for Instructions" link for well, instructions, on how to get credit for your entries.
  • If you are a minor, please get your parent's permission before entering.
  • I will email the winner after the contest ends.  The winner has 48 hours to respond to the email or I will pick a new winner.
  • There will be 1 winner and they will be chosen randomly.
  • This giveaway is open internationally. 
  • Please don't use more than one email address to enter yourself multiple times.  It isn't fair to those who play by the rules.People found not following this rule will have all their entries disqualified.

If you have an questions at all please email me at lacqueredpaintedpolished@gmail.com.

Good luck everyone!



Giveaway coming later today!

I'm going to be posting a giveaway later today so keep an eye out! I'm still messing with Rafflecopter, the widget thing that is supposed to make doing giveaways easier, which is why I'm not posting it now. I'm not gonna tell you what I've giving away, you'll just have to keep checking back (probably some time early this afternoon)!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Holographic Royal Blue- SpectraFlair Franken

I love creating nail polish frankens. It really satisfies my need for a creative outlet that doesn't take a period of days to complete. I get bored with hobbies quickly, so I need something I can do fast and this certainly does it for me. Especially when making nail polishes as awesome as holos!

This was 2 coats with base and top coats.


This is my least holographic franken, but the effect is still there. Plus I absolutely love the color.


To make this I used 1/2 Revlon Royal, 1/4 Wet n Wild Blue Moon, 1/4 TKB Glamour Base (for glittery frankens), and a few tiny scoops of SpectraFlair.


The color in the shade isn't nearly as cool because you need light to see the holo effect, but I still like it.



Thank you for reading and have a great day/night/whatever!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Impressions of Aromaleigh's Eyeshadows and Swatches

I didn't become obsessed with makeup until Aromaleigh was already closing. I considered ordering several times before they did close, but never pulled the trigger.  So recently when I found out the the owner was selling some left over stock on her blog I decided to place an order. This isn't so much a review, as just swatches and general observations. If you want to order some eyeshadow I suggest you do it quickly as this is the last chance and the owner doesn't guarantee how long she will be selling them.


The eyeshadows were $4 each for full sizes and I bought 6 of them. I thought shipping was a little at at $5.98 for a regular bubble mailer. The packaging is cute. I wish that I had bought more from them back when they were still open.




I think the colors are vary different from the swatches she has on her blog. Even the brighter colors in the middle seem somewhat washed out. I was expecting more vibrancy and saturation. The eyeshadows themselves are pretty complex and I'll enjoy wearing them, but I'm not blown away like I was expecting to be. Maybe my expectations were just set too high.

The two eyeshadow from the Mythos collection, Asteria and Theia, were fairly gritty and had a bit of fall out even over a sticky base. Oh, and all of these need a sticky base to stand out. I felt they were rather ordinary otherwise.

As I usually do, the top row is swatched dry over bare skin and the bottom row is over a sticky base.

From left- Azimuth (Astronomical), Blueshift (Astronomical), Asteria (Mythos), Theia (Mythos), Aparecium (Spells), Silencio (Spells)
From left- Azimuth (Astronomical), Blueshift (Astronomical), Asteria (Mythos), Theia (Mythos), Aparecium (Spells), Silencio (Spells)
From left- Azimuth (Astronomical), Blueshift (Astronomical), Asteria (Mythos)
From left- Theia (Mythos), Aparecium (Spells), Silencio (Spells)

So what do you guys think? Do you have anything from Aromaleigh and what do you think of it?


Thank you for reading and have a great day/night/whatever!
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